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EXODUS 19:16-25 LESSON: GOD’S COVENANT WITH ISRAEL — October 8, 2017

INTRODUCTION:

For over four hundred years, the descendants of Israel have been in Egypt’s bondage. Now the

process of bringing the nation into the Promised Land begins. They came to the Wilderness of Sinai

or Mt. Sinai. Sinai was the place where Moses had his "Burning Bush" experience with God. It took

them three months of trusting God to get to this place, led by Moses, but they finally arrived. Now,

God is about to declare His great plan for the nation of Israel.

1Exodus 19:1-4 In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt… They camped in

front of the mountain of God, Mt. Sinai! Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain…

tell the children of Israel… I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself (NAS).

2God had protected the Israelites and he had guided them. He acted like the large, powerful

bird called an eagle. Eagles live in high places and they protect their young birds. Deuteronomy 32:11

describes how an eagle teaches her young birds to fly. She causes them to fall out of the nest. If they do

not fly, she catches them on her wings. And she carries them, so that they do not have any injury.

3Like the young eagle, the Israelites were in their nest while in Egypt. Though they suffered hardships,

disappointments, despair and oppression, they were never out of the watchful, careful eye of God.

Swiftly and safely God removed them from their place of hardship and limitation, distinguishing them

from all other nations, having chosen them to be a special people to Himself. Please view more on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfdulqhJHXk&feature=related

He is speaking to us now, saying, “I bore you on eagle’s wings.” Every difficult situation is designed

by God to teach us to soar, to excel. God didn't deliver Israel so they could "do their own thing," but

it was so they could be God's people at their best.

Exodus 19:5-8 … if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own

possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy

nation These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel. Moses called the elders of the people…set

before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. …And all the people answered together and said,

All that the Lord had spoken we will do! And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord (NAS).

Moses called the elders of the people; told them all the words that the Lord had commanded him to

tell; and all the people answered and said that they would obey, and they meant it. The problem

was that they forgot the weakness of their flesh. God gave them three titles: "My own possession”, "a

kingdom of priests" and "a holy nation", all on the contingency of, if they obeyed. As the priestly

1Exodus Kay Lecture Lesson 7: Ch’s 19-20 Why the Commandments When I Can’t Keep Them?

2 https://www.easyenglish.bible/bible-commentary/exodus-19-

3 http://crossheart.org/hearttoheart.html

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order in times past, was set apart from the common mass, so were the Israelites. They were to

sustain the same near relation to God.

Exodus 19:9-14 The Lord said to Moses, Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear

when I speak with you and may also believe in you forever… …Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

The Lord also said to Moses, Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their

garments; and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the

sight of all the people. …set bounds for the people all around, saying Beware that you do not go up on the

mountain or touch the border. ….whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. …no hand shall

touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether beast or man, he shall not live. When the ram’s

horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain. So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and

consecrated the people, and washed their garments (NAS).

God was specific with His instructions to Moses for the people. Moses was the only one God talked

to and through. And Moses would in turn tell the people all the instructions in which God had

spoken. Moses was the leader, the one God put in charge to deliver His people. God was about to

come down to them in a thick cloud and was going to speak to them and tell them about His Ten

Commandments. However, before they could come into God’s presence, preparation had to take

place. There was an inward preparation for meeting with God where it would be mirrored in the

outward actions of maintaining bodily cleanliness. They were to consecrate; sanctify themselves;

and wash their garments for two days. They were to be totally and completely clean. 19:15 "He said

to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman” (NAS).

I. ASSEMBLY Exodus 19:16-19 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings,

and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people

that was in the camp trembled. Three is the symbol of the Godhead, so, in the morning on the third

day there the roar of thunder and lightning flashing and a thick cloud upon the mountain. This was

where God was to meet His people and there was a great expectation of the people to see Him. The

very loud blast of a trumpet sounded in the camp as told in verse 13. In the Old Testament the

trumpet blast signified an alarm of war, a call to assemble, or a command to march. This was a call

to assemble. What an awesome sight on the mountain, but the people didn’t quite understand it,

for it brought fear as they trembled at what was happening before them. The unusual was

happening, for it was not the usual phenomena from volcanic activity. It was the presence of God!

19:17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the

nether part of the mount. God was about to introduce Himself to His people. The people had prepared

themselves and Moses led them out of the camp and they stood at the foot of the mountain to meet God.

19:18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and

the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. Now

Mount Sinai was all enveloped in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke

ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. His appearance

LESSON:

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was surely powerful.

19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake,

and God answered him by a voice. When the sound or blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder,

Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder.

II. ADMONITION Exodus 19:20-22 19:20 And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called

Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. God showed up by coming down or

descending upon Mount Sinai. He summons the leader Moses to come up the Mount so He can talk

to him, and "Moses went up."

19:21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the

Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. With such a mass of people, God reiterated again to Moses

with a warning: go down and warn and charge the people to obey the instructions about the Mount

of God, in case they tried to break through to come up to gaze upon Him for themselves, for many

would perish. They were not even supposed to touch the Mountain.

19:22 And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break

forth upon them. This warning spilled over to the priests. Moses was to also reiterate to the priests

whose duty was to come near God. They were to sanctify themselves unto God in the same manner

as the people were instructed and not to come up, lest the Lord break forth; vent His anger upon them.

III. ASCENT Exodus 19:23-25 19:23 And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst

us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. In Chapter 19, a total of three times (v3, 8, 20),

Moses went up the mountain to see God; then came back down to talk to the people. It seems as if

Moses didn’t really want to go back down to the people. So, Moses tells God that the people can’t

climb; ascend up the Mount for He has charged, and admonished them to set boundaries around

the Mount and render it sacred. This is really a test for Moses. God’s message was that the people

learn to respect Him and reverence Him; respect the holiness of His presence on Mount Sinai.

19:24 And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron

with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord, lest he

break forth upon them. So, the Lord tells Moses to hasten down and bring his brother Aaron up with

him. But, don’t let the priests and the people intrude or press through the bounds to climb up the

Mount, lest He break forth upon them destroying them.

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19:25 So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them. Moses went down and

communicated these boundaries to the people again. In Chapter 19, a total of three times (v3, 8, 20),

Moses went up the mountain to see God; then came back down to talk to the people. So, when

Moses descended this time, he was to return with Aaron after talking to the people. Their

leadership was thereby confirmed.

SUMMARY:

In the morning on the third day there was an expectation of the people to see God, but they were met

with the roar of thunder and lightning flashing, a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud blast

of a trumpet sound in the camp. But all that made the people tremble. Moses leads them out of the

camp, and they stood at the foot of the mountain to meet God. Now Mount Sinai was all enveloped

in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a

furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. When the voice; the sound of the trumpet grew

louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice (thunder) (19:16-19).

God’s presence came down descending upon Mount Sinai as He summoned Moses to come up the

Mount so He could talk with him. And "Moses went up." Moses with a warning: go down and warn

and charge the people to obey the instructions about the Mount of God, in case they tried to break

through to come up to gaze upon Him for themselves, for many would perish. This warning was also to the

priests whose duty was to come near God. They were to sanctify themselves unto God lest the Lord break

forth; vent His anger upon them. (19:20-22).

Moses tells the LORD that the people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for they were warned to set

boundaries around the mountain, and to declare it sacred. So, the Lord told Moses to hasten down

and bring his brother Aaron up with him. But, don’t let the priests and the people intrude or press

through the bounds to climb up to the Lord, lest He break forth upon them destroying them. So Moses

went down to the people and told them (19:23-25).